Martin Keown says 24-year-old Arsenal player was just ‘fantastic’ v West Ham today

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Declan Rice produced a masterful performance for Arsenal today as he returned to West Ham for the first time in devastating fashion.

The £105m man was on fire in the middle of the park as he helped Arsenal to a comfortable 6-0 win, which included him smashing in a stunning goal of his own.

Of course, for West Ham fans, it will have been bittersweet seeing Rice come back and be so good. On one hand, they know they developed him and got big money for him. But looking at him now, they’ll wish he was back in claret and blue.

And watching Rice’s performance for PL Productions, former Gunner Martin Keown felt that the England man definitely delivered on his return to East London.

“Declan Rice going back didn’t disappoint – two assists, great delivery from set pieces and the goal he got was fantastic. Just what the doctor ordered,” Keown said.

Rice refused to celebrate the goal himself before being given a standing ovation when Mikel Arteta took him off not long after.

Declan Rice is a class act

With each passing week, Declan Rice shows more and more just why Arsenal felt inclined to spend the money they did on him.

He was simply brilliant yet again today and showed just why Mikel Arteta was desperate to get him into his midfield last summer.

His delivery from set-pieces was superb, something that surprised the onlooking Paul Scholes, and then the way he took his goal was simply brilliant.

Rice showed West Ham exactly what they’re missing with his performance today and if Arsenal win the league, Rice will have been a huge reason for that success.

The Gunners laid down a marker today with this performance and in the end, sent a message to both City and Liverpool that they’re here to stay in this title race.